Warmer air moves in for an extended stay

Warm, Wet, Windy Weather Moves In

A new pattern of above average temperatures is settling into place across the Finger Lakes.

A warm front lifted northeast through the region last night, opening our doors to the milder air. The surge of warmth will be further enhanced by a strong storm system that will track through the Midwest and Upper Great Lakes over the next 48 hours.

For today, quiet weather is expected throughout the day. Skies will be cloudy much of the time, but some breaks of sunshine will poke through during the afternoon hours.

The little bits of sunshine will team up with south winds of 5-10 mph, resulting in highs in the mid and upper 40s. The most likely areas for temperatures to not reach 45 degrees will be across Cortland County and the immediately adjacent areas.

Temperatures will drop to the mid 30s early this evening. Clouds will thicken by midnight and some rain showers will move in during the overnight hours. The south wind will also increase after midnight.

By dawn Saturday, temperatures will be back into the mid 40s and wind gusts will be 35-45 mph for much of the region. The higher wind gusts in that range will be over higher elevations such as the Bristol Hills and the hilltops between Syracuse and Cortland.

On and off rain showers will continue Saturday, though there will likely be a good deal of dry time through the latter half of the morning and early afternoon. A few rumbles of thunder cannot be ruled out.

Just how warm it gets tomorrow may depend on whether any sun comes out in the relative lull during the midday hours. Regardless, highs in the upper 50s and low 60s will be commonplace. Any sunshine would only bump those numbers up slightly.

South winds will continue to gust between 30-40 mph until the cold front moves through late in the afternoon and early in the evening. Immediately behind the front, winds will increase with 40-50 mph gusts. Even stronger winds are expected from about Canandaigua north and westward, with 50-60 mph gusts.

Temperatures will rapidly drop behind the front as well, going from the mid 50s to the low 40s in under an hour, and then a slower drop into the 30s overnight.

The Weather Next Week

The cold front will certainly set temperatures back compared to the warm air on Saturday, but the overall pattern will remain warmer than what we have seen the last few weeks.

After a few lingering early morning clouds, Sunday should be mostly sunny. Winds will be from the west and southwest with speeds around 10 mph and gusts around 25 mph. Some higher elevations may not reach 40 degrees, but most of the region should be in the low to even mid 40s.

Some passing clouds will move through Sunday night, helping temperatures stick to the mid 30s. Skies will clear again early Monday for another sunny day. Winds will be from the southwest at typical 5-10 mph speeds. Higher elevations will approach 45 degrees, while upper 40s spread through most lower elevations.

Tuesday will be a touch cooler as winds shift to the northwest and north, despite wind speeds at or under 5 mph. Look for highs in the low to perhaps mid 40s. Skies will be a mix of sun and clouds.

Wednesday will still have some sunshine but will trend cloudier as the day goes on. A few late showers cannot be ruled out either, with a better chance for rain coming in on Thursday.

Winds will be back from the south and could be a bit blustery over higher elevations. Temperatures will return to the mid 40s on Wednesday with low 50s possible on Thursday.

Our weather pattern becomes more unsettled thereafter, which leads to higher uncertainty. However, the overall pattern continues to look mild through next weekend before at least some chances for snow to return in the days leading up to Christmas.

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This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected.